Rank-and-File Members of International Longshoremen’s Association At Atlantic and Gulf Coast Ports Overwhelmingly Ratify Provisions of New Six-Year Master Contract With United States Maritime Alliance With Nearly 99 Percent Voting In Favor; Landmark Agreement Includes Record Wage Increases, Protections Against Automation and Will Be In Effect until September 30, 2030
NORTH BERGEN, NJ. (February 25, 2025) The final stamp of approval for a new six-year Master Contract Agreement between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), was secured today as ILA rank-and-file members, working at ports on the Atlantic and Gulf Coast Ports, overwhelmingly ratified the landmark agreement. The extension to the Master Contract will be effective October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2030.
With nearly all ILA reporting results of the ratification vote, nearly 99 percent of ILA members voted in favor of the new Master Contract Agreement.
“I am pleased to announce that thousands of ILA longshore workers covered by this Master Contract today have overwhelming supported its ratification with nearly 99 percent in favor, and we now have labor peace for the next six years,” said ILA President Harold Daggett who served as the union’s Chief Negotiator. “It was a tough contract to negotiate and even took a three-day coast-wide strike in October 2024. The ILA stayed strong and unified throughout and successfully won the greatest contract in ILA history and maybe the strongest Collective Bargaining Agreement ever negotiated by any union.
“Our ILA rank-and-file members are not only the greatest longshore workers in the world, but they are also the strongest, most powerful union members anywhere,” continued President Daggett. “Their courage and determination helped win them this landmark contract”
– President Daggett
ILA President Daggett described the new agreement as the “gold standard” for dockworker unions globally. The ILA-USMX agreement includes a record shattering 62 percent wage increase; full protections against automation; Accelerated wage raises for new ILA workers; Full container royalty funds returned to the ILA; Raises in contributions to money purchase plans; A strengthening of the International’s health care plan called MILA; and a resolution of the Vacation and Holiday dilemma, among many other benefits.
“This is an incredible contract package,” said ILA President Daggett who also noted that all ILA longshore members covered under this new agreement will receive all the enhanced benefits and gains of the new pact, retroactive to October 1, 2024.
ILA President Daggett continued to praise U.S. President Donald Trump for his invaluable assistance helping the ILA achieve this new agreement. Following a December 2024 meeting at Mar-A-Lago between President Trump and the ILA’s Harold Daggett and Dennis Daggett, President Trump expressed his full support of the ILA and its position against job-threatening automation that proved to be a major boost for the ILA in reaching a successful settlement with USMX.
President Daggett also praised his USMX negotiating counterpart Paul DeMaria, the lead negotiator for management, in helping to bring about a settlement.
“Thank goodness USMX made Paul DeMaria the Lead Negotiator for management’s side when they did,” ILA President Daggett said. “Paul was uniquely qualified to move negotiations in the right direction and his appointment to this new role was instrumental in avoiding a second strike.”
President Daggett added that his ILA and its members, with this new six-year agreement ratified, now look to build a strong future, working in partnership with USMX, to help all ILA ports grow and flourish, and to increase the ILA’s influence and impact with dockworker unions globally.
The ILA and USMX announced that they will formally sign this new Six-Year Agreement on Tuesday, March 11th, 2025.
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